The ends of optic fibers are commonly installed in ferrules, with the fiber tips lying flush with the ferrule tips. Two ferrules are mated by inserting each ferrule into a precision alignment sleeve which aligns the ferrule tips to assure that light passes from one fiber tip to the other with minimum insertion loss (loss of light intensity). A pair of optic fiber connectors that each has a plurality of fiber-holding ferrules, can be connected by the use of a separate alignment assembly which includes a housing that holds a plurality of alignment sleeves. The alignment assembly is attached to a first one of the connectors as by a screw. The two connectors are brought together and held together as by a nut. The ferrules are chosen or adjusted to assure an insertion loss of no more than a preset level, such as 0.25 db for a single mode fiber, at each pair of mating ferrules.
Occasionally, a technician must gain access to the ferrule tips, as to clean them or to replace a poor-performing fiber and its associated ferrule. Such access is obtained by separating the connectors and then removing the alignment assembly to expose the ferrule tips. When the ferrule and fiber tips have been cleaned or a ferule is replaced, the alignment assembly is reinstalled in the first connector. When the alignment assembly is reinstalled and the two connectors are mated, it often is found that at least one of the pairs of mating ferrules experiences an insertion loss that is higher than is acceptable. This is because the two connectors may be mated in either of two orientations, and only one of the orientations provides the required low insertion loss for each fiber. Also, a change in orientation can result in mating of fibers that are not intended to be mated. Such improper orientation of the two connectors can be corrected by pulling apart the two connectors, turning one of them 180°, and reconnecting them, but this is annoying and time consuming. An alignment assembly which assured proper orientations of the two mating connectors after they have been unmated and remated and which added very little cost, would be of value.